IJsvermaak nabij Alkmaar, 1619 1722 - 1784

This etching, "IJsvermaak nabij Alkmaar," was created by Simon Fokke around 1719. The frozen landscape pulses with the energy of communal life: figures ice skate, play games, and engage in trade, with windmills punctuating the horizon. Observe the motif of the frozen body of water, usually a place of depth and concealed danger, here transformed into a social stage. This recalls the ancient Roman Lupercalia, a festival where boundaries blurred and social norms were playfully inverted. The ice, a symbol of fleeting stability, mirrors the precariousness of life itself. Consider how the simple act of ice skating evolves from a practical mode of transport to a symbol of leisure and festivity, echoing through Bruegel's winter scenes and later appearing in Impressionist celebrations of modern life. This emblem of frozen festivity resonates with our collective memory, surfacing across centuries and cultures, a recurring dream in the visual language of humanity.